By the The UK Home Smokehouse Team · Updated May 2026 · Independent, reader-supported

Home Curing & Smoking Kit UK – What You Need to Get Started

Home curing and smoking meat seems daunting at first, but it's genuinely simpler than most people think. You don't need hundreds of pounds in kit or years of training—just the right essentials, clean technique, and the willingness to learn from your first batch. This guide covers exactly what a beginner needs without the unnecessary gadgetry.

Why Start with a Proper Kit?

Many people attempt curing and smoking with whatever they have lying around, then wonder why the bacon tastes like a chemistry set or the ham spoils. Curing isn't guesswork. Salt, nitrates, time, and temperature work in specific ways, and cutting corners creates food-safety risks or inedible results. A basic kit ensures you understand what you're doing from the start.

The good news: a functional starter setup costs between £50 and £150, depending on whether you already own a smoker.

Curing Salt – Non-Negotiable First

You cannot make proper cured meat without the right salt. Regular table salt is useless because it contains anti-caking agents and iodine that ruin flavour and produce discolouration. You need either:

Pink curing salt (sodium nitrite) – the standard choice for bacon, ham, and brisket. It gives cured meat its signature colour and flavour, and crucially, prevents botulism. A 500g tub lasts for dozens of batches and costs around £8–£15 from specialist food suppliers. One teaspoon goes a long way; most recipes call for 4–6g per kilogramme of meat.

Sea salt or kosher salt – for dry-curing rubs. Not a substitute for pink salt when botulism risk exists (any low-oxygen environment), but fine for surface rubs, jerky, and some regional preparations. Buy food-grade sea salt without anti-caking agents.

Don't guess ratios. Use proper recipes with measured salt content, especially your first time.

A Smoker or Smoking Box

You have options here, and none require major expense.

Barrel or box smoker – a 44-litre oil drum or stainless-steel box with a firebox underneath costs £40–£80 new. It works. Insulation is poor, so temperature swings in cold weather, but beginners learn the basics quickly. It'll handle bacon, brisket, and whole chickens without issue. Check secondhand marketplaces; many people buy them and never use them.

Smoke gun – a handheld device that generates cold smoke or hot smoke with a wood cartridge. Brilliant for London flats and small gardens where a full smoker isn't practical. The setup runs £30–£60. Smokes joints of meat indoors without filling the house with black smoke. The downsides: slower, less consistent heat, and you're tending it the entire time.

Cold-smoking cabinet – if you're serious about cured products and live somewhere space is tight, a dedicated cold-smoke cabinet holds temperature well and runs around £120–£200. Overkill for beginners, but it's the right choice if you plan to do this regularly.

For most beginners, a barrel smoker or cheap box smoker is the sensible starting point. You learn how smoke and heat actually work without spending silly money.

Wood Dust and Smoke Materials

Hardwood dust burns cleaner and imparts better flavour than softwood. Use:

• Oak (strong, reliable, doesn't overpower)
• Apple or cherry (milder, slightly sweet)
• Hickory (robust, slightly acrid; use sparingly)
• Alder (traditional for fish, works on pork too)

Buy food-grade smoking dust in 1kg bags (£6–£12). A kilogramme lasts weeks even if you smoke twice a week. Avoid treated wood, plywood, or anything with paint or varnish.

Wet wood smoulders rather than burns cleanly, producing harsh smoke. Soak chips if you're running a very hot fire, but dust or small pieces are better for consistent smoke.

Thermometer – Essential, Not Optional

You cannot smoke properly without knowing the actual temperature inside the smoker. The grate temperature (where the meat sits) can differ by 15°C from the top of the smoker. Cheap dial thermometers are often wildly inaccurate.

Buy either:

Digital meat thermometer with a probe (£15–£30) – lets you read the core temperature of the meat without opening the smoker door. Saves you guessing and prevents overcooking. Brands like ThermoPro are reliable without being expensive.

Wireless smart thermometer (£40–£80) – tracks grate temperature and meat temperature simultaneously, sends alerts to your phone. Nice if you're smoking overnight or multitasking, but not essential for your first go.

At minimum, get one reliable probe thermometer. Opening the smoker constantly to check temperature is how people undercook pork and waste time.

Vacuum Bags and Storage

Once you've cured and smoked meat, you need to store it properly.

Vacuum bags (100 pack, £8–£15) – seal out air, preventing oxidation and extending shelf life. A basic handheld sealer costs around £15–£25. If you're making bacon regularly, a vacuum sealer is genuinely worth the money.

Butcher's paper – for wrapping during the curing phase (when you need air circulation) and storing finished products. Far cheaper than bags and perfectly adequate if you're using the fridge within a week or two.

Other Helpful Bits

A clean workspace is non-negotiable. You'll want:

• Weighing scales accurate to at least 1g (£10–£20)
• A clean chopping board dedicated to curing (no cross-contamination)
• Clean jars or containers for curing brines
• Labels and a marker (to date your batches)

These aren't expensive, but they're easy to overlook.

Getting Started Properly

Your first project should be bacon or a simple brine-cured ham. Both are forgiving, quick (7–14 days), and let you learn the fundamentals without the complexity of whole briskets or fish.

Use a tested recipe with exact measurements. Ignore online guesses and YouTube creators who eyeball salt. One beginner mistake ruins a 2kg joint and costs you £20 in wasted meat.

The investment for a functioning kit—salt, smoker, thermometer, bags, and wood—sits around £80–£120 if you buy sensibly. That'll get you through your first dozen projects. After that, you'll know what specialisation actually makes sense for your setup.